Hindu dance at Mormon Church headquarters in Utah

Nevada (US),
Tue, 17 Jan 2012ANI

Nevada (US), Jan 9 (ANI): Hindu dance will reportedly be held at Mormon Tabernacle on historic Temple Square in Salt Lake City (Utah, USA), which houses the world headquarters of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS).

This Interfaith Musical Tribute, titled "Many Faiths One Family", on February 26 will also include Muslim, Buddhist, Sikh, Jewish, Presbyterian, LDS, Unitarian, Gospel, Celtic, earth-based, etc., music/dance/blessings/readings. Free tickets are available at www.lds.org.

Hindus have commended LDS for its interfaith gesture. Distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, hailed LDS for efforts in building bridges with other religions and denominations.

Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, further said that serious and honest interfaith dialogue was the need of the hour. Religion was the most powerful, complex and far-reaching force in our society, so we must take it seriously. And we all knew that religion comprised much more than our own particular tradition/experience.

Rajan Zed stressed that it was laudable on the part of LDS to host an inclusive Interfaith Musical Tribute in Temple Square, containing various religions and denominations. "It is a step in the right direction," Zed pointed out.

Zed further says that in our shared pursuit for the truth, we can learn from one another and thus can arrive closer to the truth. Dialogue may help us vanquish the stereotypes, prejudices, caricatures, etc., passed on to us from previous generations. As dialogue brings us reciprocal enrichment, we shall be spiritually richer than before the contact.

Rajan Zed argued that all religions should work together for a just and peaceful world. Dialogue would help us see interconnections and interdependencies between religions and even similarities in doctrines. Religions should at least work together on common religious concerns like peace-making and peace-keeping, social and economic development, freedom and human rights, Zed added.

Historic Mormon Tabernacle, completed in 1867, is a national historic landmark and contains an 11,623-pipe Tabernacle organ. Photographs, however, will not be permitted during this performance.

According to LDS sources, Jesus Christ is the head of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints which has been restored by God through the Prophet Joseph Smith (1805-44). The Church is led by 15 Apostles, which include President Thomas S. Monson who is also considered a prophet. One of the fastest growing church, it has over 14-million members in over 170 nations, over 28,000 congregations and 166 temples, and over 52,483 missionaries serving at any one time in nearly 340 worldwide missions. LDS is also known for its research and storage of genealogical records. Republican American presidential front-runner Mitt Romney is a Mormon and so is United States Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

Hinduism, oldest and third largest religion of the world, has about one billion adherents and moksh (liberation) is its ultimate goal.(ANI)